


Rescued

by alafaye



Category: Beauty and the Beast (1991)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-01
Updated: 2017-08-01
Packaged: 2018-12-09 23:54:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,437
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11679714
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alafaye/pseuds/alafaye
Summary: The enchantress comes back to check on the progress of her spell.





	Rescued

**Author's Note:**

> So I wanted to fix the part where Belle essentially has to choose between one bastard and another bastard. 
> 
> This is the fix.
> 
> Warnings for references to domestic abuse.

Mary hummed and sipped her tea. This spell was completely misleading. She was glad she hadn't paid anything for it. Serves her right, however, for going to that bookseller again. He never had anything good or worth her time. After all, everyone knew that if you truly wanted a love potion, one used carnations rather than roses. Roses were for more passionate spells.

Speaking of which. She snapped her fingers and her Grimoire floated over to her. Another quick movement of her fingers and it opened to the page she wanted. Yes, it was as she thought. It was time to check on that uncharitable beast of an earl. She smirked as she sent the book away and called for her cloak.

If her instincts were right, he was still a beast and would likely remain that way.

"Marie, I am leaving," she called to her maid.

Marie leaned out of the kitchen, drying her hands on a tea towel. "Will you be back in time for dinner?"

Mary considered the question. "If I am not back, just leave it under a warming charm for me."

Marie nodded and went back to cooking. Mary was grateful to have such a dependable maid, but it was only through luck that Mary had found Marie. She'd gone into the village proper for a few supplies and as she passed by an alley, she found Marie trying to summon some demon to punish the widower she'd married. It had been a sham of a courtship and Marie had entered into a life of daily beatings and even a few near death experiences. Marie had had enough and was willing to try anything to stop the pain. Mary had stepped in just in time and given Marie the tools she needed to have the man seal his own death warrant. Marie had wanted to take care of the man's children however and so Mary had hired her on to give her some income. 

With a quick blink of her eyes, Mary found herself in front of the doomed castle. It hadn't looked like this at first. She remembered how welcoming it had looked so many years ago now. She had been traveling for a fair and while yes, it would have been easier to just appear there, once in a while, a walk through the country was nice. She met new people and found supplies, in villages and the woods she passed through. She was able to reconnect with nature and replenished her spirits with those walks. She had been in need of a place to stay and couldn't resist that beautiful castle.

It was interesting, however, the reaction of the footman who answered her knock. He was startled to see anyone on the other side and stuttered out a request for her to stay there while he fetched his master. Curious, she transformed herself. Oh, that lord. She had to do something.

Now, the castle reflected its master. Dark, foreboding, unwelcoming. As awful as he.

But... Oh, what was this? A small little flicker of light. It was so dim when it had once been so bright, she saw. It was moving around in one of higher rooms. Time to investigate.

~~~

The library. Interesting. It had the feeling of freshly cleaned though that was no surprise. She suspected that if the lord actually read anything, he wouldn't be so beastly. So why had he cleaned it? Oh, there it was. A beautiful face. A young woman, pacing in front of the windows. She was wearing a lovely blue dress with a white shawl to ward off the chill. Mary felt her heart stir.

"Hello," she said softly.

The woman startled. "Hello. Oh, I didn't... You are here, right?"

Mary smiled and clasped her hands in front of her. "I am. I'm Mary. Who are you?"

The woman brushed her bangs back and lifted her chin. "Belle. I'm sorry. I haven't seen any one... Well. I think everyone here is human, but they don't look that way. I didn't know if maybe I just imagined you because I'm so lonely."

Mary tilted her head. "Lonely? Surely someone would be happy to keep you company."

Belle shrugged. "Maybe. But I think most of them have something else to do. Or the Master told them to not talk to me."

Oh, dear. Mary sat down on a sofa nearby and patted the cushion next to her. "Come. Tell me about it."

Belle bit her lip and looked at the door. Mary waited patiently. If this was as bad as she suspected it was, Belle would soon sit and spill everything.

~~~

Belle hiccuped softly, brushing tears away from her face. "He's just so angry. Sometimes I think he's coming around, but then... I don't know. It's like something turns in him. Someone here, sometimes me, will do something and he'll just explode with anger. I saw him throw on of the dishes. I felt so bad because they're all alive in their own and he just threw it!"

Mary hushed her and pulled Belle tighter to her. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. This is all my fault."

Belle sniffed. "What do you mean?"

"I was the enchantress who cast this curse," Mary said. "If I had known... I could have done something different. I'm sure of it. But I, too, was angry. I couldn't stop myself."

Belle shook her head. "No. Maybe if you hadn't turned him into a beast, then maybe someone would have been fooled enough to marry him and she wouldn't be able to get away!"

Mary cupped her cheek. "But you're just as trapped!"

Belle shrugged. "At least I have these books. It's not as though I had anything better to look forward to. There was this man in the village -- oh, he just as much of a brute! And the entire village didn't understand why I wouldn't marry him!"

Mary sighed. This was completely awful. This poor woman had done nothing wrong except wanting to save her father, but even if she hadn't become trapped here, she'd have been trapped in her village. But Mary could do something! She could. She kissed Belle's forehead. "Wait here for me, dear. I can fix this."

Belle straightened, intrigued. "Could you really? And my father?"

Mary smiled and stood up. "Just leave it all to me!"

~~~

_One Year Later_

Belle huffed when Mary took the book from her hands. "Must you?"

Mary grinned and bookmarked the page before setting the book aside. Belle sighed and curled her legs up so Mary could sit with her on the window seat. Out in the field, Maurice -- fully enjoying his restored strength -- directed Marie's boys to where they should set up the new log cutter for testing. Marie waited by the house with bandages and kisses for all, including Maurice. All of them here, a little family. Mary ran her fingers around Belle's ankle, pleased.

"If you only came over to sit with me, I'd like my book back," Belle said.

Mary raised an eyebrow. "Is that so?"

Belle crossed her arms. "Book."

"Kiss first?" Mary teased. Belle considered. Mary giggled and Belle kissed away the laughter. "Mm. Now that is better. I realized that I hadn't kissed you in some time. I needed to fix that."

Belle rolled her eyes and held out her hand. Mary gave her back the book, but not before taking another kiss. She hadn't imagined any of this when she rescued Belle and her father, but she rarely foresaw the amazing effects her spells had. Nevertheless, it was more than Mary could have hoped for. She leaned back against the window frame. "Read to me?"

Belle raised an eyebrow and set aside her book. Mary blinked. "What?"

"How about I tell you one of my stories?" Belle offered.

Marry grinned. "A new one?"

Belle nodded. "Yes." She leaned forward into Mary's face, close for kissing, but didn't. Mary bit her lip. Belle smiled. "But not one that I'll submit for publication. It's just for us. A villager, working on farm dreams of something bigger. She finds her something bigger, but it's not what she ever imagined. She's so unhappy."

"Does she get rescued?"

"By a beautiful enchantress."

Mary licked her lips. "Tell me more. I think this might be my favorite one."

Belle kissed her. Mary hums, so happy. Belle breaks the kiss to turn around and settle back against Mary's chest. She links their hands and tells this magnificent story as they watch their family destroy more of the lawn.

And then they finish their happily ever after.


End file.
